CB Radio/antenna install for Viper

[Hoosier Daddy]

I'm going to be doing some traveling in the Viper this year. Anybody install a CB radio and antenna on there car? What kind of grounding for the antenna did you use since the car is all plastic. Looking for something road worthy to at least a buck 20 when I visit fellow members local test tracks.

 

[Bad_Byte]

Hoosier Daddy:

Now your scaring me... what's next mud flaps and a rifle rack? You're going to have to move to Texas just to fit in if you do.



<Texas size flame suit on>

 

[joe117]

A hand held CB on the seat next to you with a headset would be the best.

 

[Casey]

Hoosier Daddy, Great question!!
I am planning some long summer trips and I have been looking into this as well.

Radar? jammer? They help, but IMO nothing is better on the Highway than a CB and others looking out for each other 10 miles in front of you! Actually, combining the radar, and CB will make me alot more comfortable when I do decide to open it up on the Track!
Don't want one of those huge, long, antennas messing up my Snake though!
What kind of range do the Handheld CBs offer? Anyone got one?

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Everybody I talked to said stay away from the hand held. Limited range at best is < 4 miles. My biggest question is the antenna mounting on the vehicle. You can also buy an adapter to hook up a hand held to an outside antenna for better clarity and range. I was just curious what type of antenna stystem used Non ground plane (NGP) or rig up some metal contraption from the bottom of the frame.

Hmmm mud flaps. I could use a set but everytime I seem to end up in the mud I'm going backwards. Maybe I should install some like the old 70's Trans Am's, forward of the wheels.

 

[GTS Dean]

Alan,

You might get a decent ground plane if you rivet an aluminum plate disc under the spare tire. Make yourself a good ground connection to it with the coax. You could fabricate a little steel standoff plate for the antenna base with good suction cups to stick to the rear hatch glass.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hi, Alan. For what it's worth, I mounted a standard CB antenna (you know, with the big magnetic base) to the top center of a GTS rear glass using alcohol to clean the glass, then a LOT of racer tape (red is faster) in 1 ft. lengths going horizontally, then vertically...with the wire providing additional support as it was pulled tight and "fixed" inside...used Cobra 4 watt...and all the trucks thought that it sounded fine.

This worked well on a 600 mile trip, with "wind tunnel" testing to 140 mph ("closed course, professional driver, etc. "). I did check it for retaping but did NOT have too.

Use at YOUR OWN risk...p.s....let me know if you come to your favorite (if not jinxed !!!) state and I'll try to find a rear glass just in case.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Alan,You know since your car is spending the winter in the south I'm sure I can hook you up with a set of dual whips about 8ft long.I can just drill holes in the rear quarters and even top them off with a **** tail.Let me know I'll have it done in no time at all.

 

[joe117]

Here's some antenna theory.
All antennas do not require a ground plane. The common 1/4 wave whip does require a ground plane but the 27MHz frequency of CB means that the ground plane needs to be much larger than you will be able to rig up on a Viper. There are antennas that might work. I would try to find an extended length antenna for the handheld radio. The small rubber duckie is not going to be enough but you don't need a really big antenna to give a great improvement over the duckie. The antenna is the problem with handhelds, the radio itself has plenty of power.

 

[Steve-Indy]

By the way, Alan...the antenna that I referenced above was a full length type...and the unit was NOT a handheld.